And So This is Christmas...

[madmaxine]

...and what have you done?
Another year over.
And a new one just begun.
(Yeah I know he was a communist.)

So I skipped the big family dinner at a restaurant.  My excuse was I wait an entire year for Rendezvous and i don't want to catch the hu flung du flu right before it.  I have time and money invested in it.  But the big thing is it's become important to me.  I like living pre-1840 for 12 days.  I like throwing knives and hawks.  I like talking to the black Seminoles and the Cherokees.  And all the other native tribes.  I like learning history from people who have been studying and living it for decades.  I like leather work.  And this year I'm going to shoot flintlock.  So there.

They were a little sad I didn't come, but ok with it.  Instead I went to Kelly's Mom's today.  There were 4 of us.  Now first,  I love Kelly's family.  But like all families sometimes a little is better than a lot.  Her Mom is very southern.  Love her.  She also knows it all.  Problem is she knows it from a 50's knowledge base.  Her little sister... well I just try not to engage or become engaged in any conversation with her at all.  'nuff said.

But I made it through dinner.  I needed some air and went outside to get ready for the ENDLESS southern goodbyes and divying up the leftovers (There's a lot of bickering on who really needs to take home what. "No no,  we can't possibly eat all that) ...ad nauseum.  Anyhoo I cut down a few cherry laurels that will help hold my tarp up at the 'vous.  (I daydreamed about being a Deadeye Dick at the range.  BOOM,  smoke,  seeing a bullseye, the roar of the appreciative onlookers at my expertise... yeah well).

So back inside the food division was still going on and I saw an opportunity when all 3 women were talking at once to quietly say I needed to go and check on the puppy.  Smooth baby.  Out the door no fuss no muss.

And with only a few cringe worthy moments at the table our Christmas was almost over.  Quite painless.  Unlike my family's dysfunctional chaos during the Holidays.

We're sitting by the fire place with a nice fire, the dogs gnawing their bones, thankful we are who we are we are where we are and we are with the ones we love.  woof

Night.

[wsdstan]

I enjoyed reading your comments Tony, partly from a sort of voyeuristic viewpoint and mostly because it is funny.  It would actually make a good foundation for a play or a book.

My family consists of a wife who I dearly love and a son who I also dearly love.  But that is it.  No cousins, nephews, or nieces that we have seen for about forty years.  Last time I saw a few of them was about 1980 when an Aunt died.  She was the last one to go so no need to get together again.  A cousin I fished with called me when we moved to South Dakota and was mad I didn't say goodbye.  I reminded him we had not seen each other since 1970 at his fathers funeral.  This reminder was delivered in 2000.  He was mad because I did talk to my last surviving Uncle who has since departed this life but didn't bother to call him.  My wife's family is also splintered and distributed around the country and nobody talks to anybody these days. 

Our family dynamics is severely disabled and we are pretty happy about it.  Almost forgot; I have a brother who used to call looking for money.  After figuring out he wasn't going to get any of mine he stopped calling.  That was in 2003. None of this was really planned, it just worked out this way.  A little of our family's time was more than we and they could stand so no time at all was really easy.

[madmaxine]

It's kinda funny, Stan, that Kelly's family gets a sad look on their faces when they ask how my brothers, nieces, and nephews are and I say, "Beats me haven't talked with any of them in a decade...some decades.".  I have told them that their family bonds are much different then mine and I really don't care to have a relationship with any of my family.  Cue looks of incomprehension (?). Sadness (?).  Pity (?).

As I said,  I love Kelly's family with all their idiosyncrasies.  I am very thankful to be accepted as a member in their family.  Much better than the drunk egotistical cynical sarcastic dinners at my parents' home of years gone by.

We're pretty cozy in our 60's debt free with our friends and family contact list pared down to non-toxic relationships.

And thanks for your appreciation of my story.

[Mannlicher]

My son and his family spent Christmas Eve with us.  Wife fixed a huge pot of her traditional family Italian spaghetti with meatballs and pork ribs.  Bed early, and up early.  The two year old (almost three) granddaughter's reaction to Christmas morning made the expense and work worth it.  Later,  the wife's brother, his wife and older sister came for late lunch.  More eating, visiting and having fun.  Finally, all left, and I could finally relax with an adult beverage. 
No drama,  no one upset.  I have a most wonderful family.
Today, my daughter and her family came down to have lunch and visit.  I fixed omelets to order and served a mixed green salad with it.  Just like a fancy restaurant.  Crusty bread and French butter,  rum cake with bourbon vanilla icecream. 
I love Christmas.

[madmaxine]

Sam I've heard you and Mike talk about your families with nothing but love.  It's nice to hear.

[wsdstan]

Yes it is.

[hayshaker]

not to sound so much like a rant, well here it goes
the 1'st half of the day was at home.  then bout 2,45 pm i went over by the BIL"s
low and behold not a scrap of food on the table not even a dip
was not even offerd a plate of food, or even a drink. are you kiddg me
and this is christmas. i've had better christmases when i was homeless.

the nieces& nephews and thier spouses sat around the kitchen table on thier damm cell phones.
littlt to no conversation at all. what the heck has happen to america.
the youngones are clueless, this could well be the last christmas in america as we once knew it, so sad